On Tuesday, a new Georgia Southern organization, Oxfam America, sponsored an event known as the Hunger Banquet. As part of this year’s annual Hunger and Homelessness week, the organization simulated to students what it was like to experience hunger and poverty. Each student that wanted to participate was asked to bring two cans of food to be given to the Statesboro Food Bank. Once the banquet had started, all the students where then placed into differering income groups, from low to high. The low-income students ate nothing but rice and water, while sitting on the floor. The middle-income students were allowed to sit at the table, and the high-income students were even more priveledged.
One of the university’s professors, Helen Graf, spoke of her experiences while spending time in Haiti. Students who came out to this event Tuesday night became more aware of the issue that is world hunger. Along with this event, students were given the opportunity to use their mealplans to buy canned goods for the Statesboro Food Bank.

During Hunger and Homelessness Week, over 600 were collected in the “Shop For The Hungry” program alone!
this sounds like a really cool presentation that was put on…I can see how it could really get the point across of how its like to live in poverty. which is something we should all be reminded of.
[...] comment on ashleigh’s blog October 16, 2009 Posted by loveleigh in My Comments. trackback Find out more about the demonstration put on by Oxfam America during GSU’s Hunger and Homelessness week on Asleigh’s blog. [...]
This is great! I wish I would have known about it. This is a great way to let others know why they should appreciate what they have.
It is also genius that the organization thought of meal plans to raise can goods because those students have them no matter what.
[...] Martin’s blog on the Hunger Banquet. Click here to read. 10/23/09 Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Entrepreneur’s Journal: Getting [...]
[...] Martin’s blog on the Hunger Banquet. Click here to read. [...]
Wow! Thats such an encouragement! I didn’t realize that students could use their meal plans to purchase canned goods for the Statesboro Food Bank. That is honestly a-mazing!
[...] a comment » Join Ashleigh as she fills us in on some really creative Homeless and Hungry relief efforts on [...]
I love that the university is offering this experience! I got the opportunity to be “homeless” in D.C. for a week on a mission trip and that really opened my eyes to the fear and worry that results from being homeless. Hopefully more GSU students will participate in the event next year!
[...] 18, 2009 · Filed under Uncategorized Comment on Ashleigh Martin’s blog post, “Hunger…Banquet?” on November 18, [...]